Precision agriculture starts at the surface
Improving leaf wettability, seed treatment and agricultural film functionalisation for higher yields with fewer chemical inputs.
The surface challenge
Modern agriculture faces a double challenge: improving yields while reducing the use of chemicals. Much of the loss happens at the surface of leaves, seeds and agricultural films, where inputs need to adhere, penetrate and act.
A waxy leaf repels sprays and much of the crop protection product runs off into the soil. A seed with a hydrophobic coat germinates slowly and unevenly. A mulch film that blocks moisture movement limits root growth.
Atmospheric pressure plasma changes the surface chemistry of plant and synthetic materials, with no solvent and no chemical residue. It can activate a leaf, boost seed germination or functionalise a film — dry, in line and at scale.
What plasma changes
| Indicator | Before | After plasma | Method |
|---|---|---|---|
| Surface energy — mulch film | 31 mN/m (PE) | 45 to 70 mN/m | Test inks |
| Contact angle — mulch film | ≈ 96° | 35 to 70° depending on exposure | Goniometer |
| Contact angle (water) | 90 to 105° (polyolefins) | 35 to 70° depending on exposure | Goniometer, sessile drop |
| Effect retention | — | near-logarithmic decay; still hydrophilic at 7 days | Controlled ageing |
| Pass speed | — | 6 to 120 m/min per source | Configuration to be validated |
Documented order-of-magnitude figures, not our own measurements: pre-treatment values come from the Accu Dyne Test reference tables, post-treatment values from the atmospheric plasma literature. They place the process — they still depend on the substrate, its geometry and the line speed. A trial on your own part gives you your own numbers. Have my material measured.
What plasma changes
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01
Improved wettability
Raise the surface energy of leaves and other plant tissues so that sprays, biostimulants and fungicides adhere instead of running off.
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02
Seed treatment
Boost germination rate and uniformity, reduce surface pathogens and improve early seedling vigour, without chemical pesticides.
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03
Agricultural film functionalisation
Tune the permeability, anti-fog behaviour and adhesion of mulch films, greenhouse films and food packaging for fresh produce.
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04
Fewer chemical inputs
Better adhesion of applied solutions and a stronger crop start let you cut input volumes, and with them cost and environmental impact.
From your sample to your line
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01
Characterisation
You send us a sample. We measure its starting surface energy and identify what is blocking adhesion: contamination, release agent, non-polar polymer.
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02
Parameter trial
We vary power, pass speed, nozzle-to-substrate distance and gas until the target effect is reached, and record the parameters that got us there.
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03
Validation
We check the result with the test that matters to you — adhesion, sealing, wetting — and document how long the effect holds on your material.
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04
Integration
At the station or in a reactor, in batches. Seeds and granulates are treated in bulk rather than individually.
A process that deposits nothing. The detailed comparison.
What plasma does, in detail
The right equipment for this sector
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Powder and granulate stations
Treating powders, granulates and seed in bulk.
View the family -
Plasmino DBD reactor
Batch treatment under controlled atmosphere, repeatable recipe.
View the family -
Wide-web plasma curtain
For mulch films and sheeting running continuously.
View the family
The final choice is made on your part and your cadence, not from a catalogue. All equipment, sorted by the problem it solves.
Frequently treated materials
This list is indicative. Atmospheric pressure plasma suits a wide range of materials in the agricultural and food sectors. The best way to confirm your case is to send us a description of your product and your objective. For the hardware, see the plasma equipment sorted by the problem it solves.
What we get asked — Agriculture
How long does the treatment effect last?
Activation is not permanent: surface energy decays after treatment, faster on mobile polymers and in warm storage. That is why plasma is placed immediately before the step it serves — printing, bonding, sealing. The decay rate is measurable, and we document it on your material during the trial.
Does plasma replace corona treatment?
Both raise surface energy, but not under the same conditions. Corona suits flat film running over a roller. Atmospheric DBD plasma also treats three-dimensional geometries, hollow parts and non-conductive surfaces, with a uniformity that does not depend on holding a constant air gap. On your part, the answer is settled by comparison, not by principle.
Does the treatment change the part's appearance or dimensions?
No. Plasma acts on the first few nanometres of the surface: mass, dimensions and bulk mechanical properties are unchanged. On heat-sensitive substrates, parameters are adjusted to avoid any marking, and that is one of the things checked at the validation stage.
Are chemicals or a drying step required?
No. The treatment runs on electricity and process gas, with no primer, no solvent and no drying time. That is what lets it sit inside a line without lengthening the cycle, and what removes a hazardous-goods handling station.
Can it be retrofitted to an existing line?
That is the most common case. The treatment installs inline, at production speed. Three things need checking: the space available at the useful point, the electrical and gas connections, and extraction. Those three are what the integration stage covers.
Does it leave a residue on a product destined for soil or living systems?
The process adds no substance: it runs on electricity and process gas, with no primer or solvent, and chemically modifies the first few nanometres of the material itself. That said, a product destined for living systems is assessed as a finished product within a given regulatory frame. Tell us which one: it determines the tests to run.
The selection guide
Atmospheric or vacuum? The question comes up on every project, and it is settled on three concrete criteria — not on a preference for one process.
- Both architectures, what each one can do and what it costs
- Three deciding criteria: part geometry, robotic integration, cycle time
- A grid to fill in so you can defend the choice to an investment committee
Guide being written — leave your email and you will get it on release.
In the meantime, the article comparing both architectures : The detailed comparison.
Related sectors
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Textiles
The full width, continuously, dry rather than in a bath.
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Sports and leisure
Foams and elastomers, where the parameter window is narrow.
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Manufacturing
Bonding and marking seen as processes, outside any sector.
What you send, what you get back
- You send
- [x] samples of your part or film, [x] minimum size.
- You receive
- surface energy values before and after, one treated sample, and a written record of the parameters used.
- Turnaround
- first reply within 48 hours, trial report within [x] business days.
- Cost
- [x]
Send a description of your part and your goal. Answer within 48 hours.
Three fields, and we get back to you
Grow more, treat less.
48 hours to find out what plasma can do for your surfaces. No commitment, just clear answers from an expert.
Response within 48 hours. No commitment. A technical discussion with an expert.